


Mingling Dimensions

by angelusmusicorum



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-07-13 02:59:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7135718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelusmusicorum/pseuds/angelusmusicorum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not a request. Reader and Barry have been dating for a while when they start arguing about how Barry always drops their plans because of Iris. Before they can resolve things, Zoom transports her to earth-2 where she meets Barry from earth 2 and they fall in love with each other. However just when things start to get serious, Team Flash from Earth 1 is there and trying to bring her back?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Truth Hurts

“You're making a big deal out of this, Y/N!” Barry raised his arms up in exasperation. 

 

“Am I, Barry? It doesn't seem like it when you always ditch me the second that Iris calls!”

 

“What do you expect me to do? Ignore her when she's in trouble? Y/N, she's been there for me for as long as I can remember!” Barry raised his voice at you which would've normally made you uncomfortable if you weren't super mad. 

 

“Of course not but I would like it if you not ditch me on our anniversary when she calls you asking you to bring her some pizza! Pizza! Like she couldn't have them deliver to her?”

 

“They're four states away so of course they don't deliver!” 

 

“That doesn't just mean she can order you to get some for her on our  **anniversary** ! You think that today of all days would be off-limits!”

 

“You know she still is hung up over Eddie’s death. She needs all my support.”

 

You laughed bitterly, “Does she really? Or do you just want to take your chance and comfort her now that he's gone?”

 

“What are you trying to say?” Barry’s face twisted with an indescribable look.  

 

“I'm trying to say that I feel like you're still in love with her, Barry. That now that Eddie is gone, you're taking your chance to make her Iris West-Allen. “

 

“You're my girlfriend, Y/N!” Barry cried indignantly.

 

You swept your hands over your face slowly, dread filling your soul, “You didn't even deny it.” Your words came out quietly and painfully. 

 

“Y/N-”

 

“I'm sorry, Barry,” Your hands balled up into fists as you turned your head away from him, “I won't get in your way anymore.” You grabbed your things from behind him and walked towards the door, stopping at it momentarily. You did your best to steel your nerves as you turned around to face him, “I wish you and Iris the best. “ 

 

You walked out of the door and out of his life. You had hoped you could show him that you didn't care with your last words but you knew you had failed from your wet cheeks and from the tremble in your voice. 

 

You had gotten home after sometime, whether it was in minutes or hours, you couldn't tell. You fell beside the bed in violent sobs as your newfound relationship status registered. 

 

You were an idiot to fall in love with Barry Allen. You were an idiot to think that he would love you back. You were an idiot to not worry about why it was Iris that married Barry in the future. You were an idiot to get involved and it was only your fault that you had gotten hurt in the end. 

 

-

Three weeks later, everything was mostly settled between the two of you. Well- not really. You avoided him and Iris whenever they were within a certain distance, you deleted his messages and voicemails, you only helped S.T.A.R Labs from home, and lastly, you changed your relationship status on Facebook to being single. 

 

You were picking up your dinner at a rather stranded and suspicious area of town when a breeze flew past you, making you eat your hair. 

 

_ ‘Shit. Barry. It was miracle that I managed to escape him this long but still-’  _

 

Your thoughts were interrupted by the speedster grabbing you by the throat. 

 

_ ‘Shit shit shit. Not Barry, definitely not.. Barry. ‘ _

 

It was Zoom. Fricking Zoom of all people. You were absolutely sure you were doomed when everything around you became a blur. It was making you dizzy but you didn't want to close your eyes just in case Zoom decided to kill you. 

 

It was bright, blurriness that eventually receded back into what you saw before or rather, something similar. He dropped you on the floor and laughed, “Have fun.” He sped off to wherever after which, you noticed that he had left you with a woman. 

 

She gazed at you with a scowl, “I can't believe he decided to bring you back out of all the people.. Well.. I guess that's what makes him Zoom.”

 

Unsurprisingly, it was her voice that made you recognize her for she looked different from the counterpart that you knew. 

 

“C-Caitlin? What happened to your hair?” Your voice came out raspy from the lack of oxygen when Zoom held you. You took slow and deep breaths while watching the silver haired Caitlin. 

 

She strutted towards you with a scowl on her face, “I hate that name. I'm Killer Frost. I'm assuming that you were friends with me on the other Earth.”

 

You nodded.

 

“Well then. Sorry to break the news to you but I'm not the goody two shoes over there. I work with Zoom.” 

 

Your jaw dropped while your mind went off in haywire. Why would Caitlin ever- Wait- 

 

“Are you a metahuman?” You blurted it out before you could think, before you could play your cards right. 

 

“That's right, sweetheart.” You barely registered her hands raising in time before you were knocked out with her powers. Too weak from your trip here, you never heard her apologizing to you. 

 

“M-Miss? Um..” You heard a nervous voice call out to you as they tried to shake you awake. It sounded familiar but you couldn't figure out who it was for some reason. 

 

“Stop it, Barry. She's still resting..” A feminine voice rang out through the room, which you recognized immediately. Iris. You groaned. Out of all the people to save you it had to be-

 

“See! She's awake. Come on just let me talk to her, Iris. “

 

For once, you hoped, Iris was on your side and wouldn’t let Barry near you. 

 

“ **Fine** but make it quick, she needs rest.” 

 

Annndd of course she wasn’t. 

 

You heard her heels clacking against the floor and the door closing. Your eyes rolled back in exasperation, though thankfully Barry couldn’t see it since your eyes were still closed. You could practically feel him right beside you since he gave off such a nervous energy. He coughed awkwardly before you decided that you should stop your ruse. 

 

“Barry.” You grounded out his name before you turned towards him. Your eyes fell open in shock at the sight of the man. His hair was pushed back and he was wearing glasses. You would’ve teased him if it weren’t for your disgruntlement towards him. You glanced down and noticed that he was in a full grey suit, a cardigan underneath, a terribly adorable red bow tie completing the entire ensemble. You wanted to giggle but you stifled it instead asking harshly, “What’s with the getup?” 

 

He blushed and looked down, tinkering with his tie, “W-What’s wrong with it?”

 

“It’s just not what you usually wear.”

 

He stared at you in confusion, his hands let go of his tie, falling slowly, “I’ve dressed like this my entire life- And speaking of which, how did you know my name was Barry?” 

 

This felt like a ridiculous game, you turned towards him, ready to yell at him to just leave you alone when your eyes locked on his. His hazel eyes were filled with honest confusion and a lack of familiarity for you. It was then you understood. Why Caitlin was so different, why Iris had the nerve to be near you, and why Barry was quite frankly dressed like an old man. 

 

You swallowed your surprised, “I’m sorry. I-I must’ve mistaken you for someone else. And as for your name- I heard your.. girlfriend call you that earlier.”

 

He blushed, “Who Iris? She isn’t my girlfriend-” You groaned at the appearance of the blush. Of course even in a different dimension, Barry was still in love with Iris. It was like they were made for each other. Bartholomew (you needed to differentiate between the two and you decided that Bartholomew simply suited this classic Barry) continued, “-She’s like my sister. That would be so weird if she was my girlfriend.” 

 

Well.. You certainly weren’t expecting that though you couldn’t really believe him since he still looked like the Barry you knew, regardless of how he was dressed and his mannerism. 

 

“Right.” You coughed. His gaze was still focused on you and honestly it was a bit unnerving. “So you wanted to ask me questions?” 

 

“O-Oh- right. Well, you were just dropped in the CCPD by Killer Frost so we just needed you to answer some questions about yourself so we know you won’t pose a threat to us..” Your mind registered his words. Killer Frost? The last thing you remembered was this Earth’s Caitlin- though you supposed that was her identity here. Bartholomew took your silence the wrong way and sputtered out nervously, “Not that we think you’re suspicious or anything! I, for one, think you’re nice. I mean you’re beautiful and you’re hurt so obviously, you aren’t in cahoots with them.”

 

It was true that you weren’t but you thought it was a bit stupid of Bartholomew to dismiss any possible danger about you just because you were hurt and beautiful. 

 

“Well then, Bartholomew-” He balked at the name. “Shoot. I’ll answer your questions while i’m still awake and bored.” 

He ruffled his gelled hair slightly before he finally sat down in the chair beside the bed you were in. You took his nervousness as a chance to survey your surroundings which you recognized- or at least somewhat- as St. Andrews Hospital. 

 

Bartholomew smiled at you as if to defuse any tension, “Well then.. For starters, can I ask for your name and where you’re from?”

 

“Y/F/N Y/L/N. I’m from Central City.” 

 

“But you weren’t in the system-” 

  
You laughed. “Let me rephrase that. I’m from Central City. But not this Earth’s Central City.”


	2. This Could Be Home

He gaped at you, “Beg your pardon?”

“I’m sure you know what Zoom can do, yes?” You waited for him to nod hesitantly. “I’m.. friends with his enemy from my Earth. I guess he decided that getting to me would get to him.”

“So what you’re saying is that Zoom brought you to a whole different universe in order to get at your friend?”

You shrugged, “Probably. I’m not sure if that’s his actual reason. Caitli- er.. Killer Frost seemed to know the me from this universe so I wonder if that has to do with anything.. All I remember is getting into a fight with my friend and then being dragged here by Zoom.”

He paused in his scribbling and stood up, “I should tell Iris..”   **  
**

The door swung open, heels clacking along the floor as Iris stepped into the room, “No need.”

You gritted your teeth together as you let yourself take her in. She was beyond gorgeous in this dimension; a perfect mixture of badass and elegance.

“Wha- Iris? I thought you left.”

She raised her perfect brow, “Did you really think I would leave you alone with Y/N here-” She waved her hand in your direction, “-when she could be dangerous?”

You piped up, “But I’m not.”

She nodded carefully as if she still didn’t believe you, “Well we know that now.”

Your hands fisted the blankets as you kept your eyes locked on hers. It was like the two of you were fighting over something though you didn’t know what.

She cleared her throat, “Well.. We may know you’re not dangerous but we still don’t know what Zoom’s intentions with you are.”

You snorted, “You make it as though as he’s trying to court me.” Your hands subconsciously rubbed at your neck.

Bartholomew seemed sick at the thought, his face scrunched in disgust and a shade of bluish purple covered his features.

Iris narrowed her eyes at you, “Yeah.. Well, hopefully for your sake, he isn’t. But my point is, we need to keep you under surveillance until we know what is happening. “

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not.” She said dryly. “We still don’t know where or **who** you should stay with but we have some time since you’ll be stuck in the hospital for a few more days.”

“How do you know I’ll even be here long? Maybe he’ll send me back long before.”

“Sweetheart, this is Zoom we’re talking about. You aren’t going back- at least alive. And here I thought you would know enough about him to help us.” She was treating you as if you were an idiot. If you were strong enough, you were sure that you would have jumped off the bed to throttle her; the anger for her counterpart still strong.

“I think you’re overestimating my worth. I didn’t know much about Zoom. Everything I knew was just because I happened to be there. They didn’t want me to know anything. And I’m not even important enough to Barr- his enemy.”

“And who was his enemy on your Earth?”

You were still reluctant to say his name, “We called him the Flash or the Scarlet Speedster.”

“And his civilian identity?”

You gritted your teeth together, “Look. I’m not going to spill everything I know to you. How do I know that **you** aren’t dangerous?”

She scowled at you and stepped closer to you, only for Bartholomew to stand up from his seat, stepping in front of you slightly. Her scowl deepened, “I guess you don’t but we don’t even know if you’re telling us the truth so until then, you’re under surveillance. I’ll come back to tell you who you’re staying with.”

Bartholomew swallowed shallowly, “She can stay with me.”

Iris’ head snapped up at an alarming rate. “What? Barry, you can’t! You aren’t able to protect yourself if she does anything.”

“Iris, I know how to protect myself and I’m sure Y/N should prefer to room with someone she knows.”

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. If looks could kill then Bartholomew would have been buried to the ground. But he barely showed any fear. Iris raised her head haughtily, “She can room with me then.”

“I’m pretty sure that she prefers me over you at the moment, Iris. “

Well. He wasn’t wrong. You had grudges on both their counterparts and while the grudge managed to transfer over to this world’s Iris, you couldn’t bring yourself to resent this world’s Barry.

The two of them continued to bicker amongst themselves which you didn’t bother to stop. It wasn’t everyday that you got to see Barry defend you against Iris after all.

The two managed to stop squabbling after forty-six minutes which you only knew because of the clock on the wall. They looked at you expectantly to which you replied with a “what?”

Bartholomew stepped forward, “You wouldn’t mind rooming with me, would you?”

“I guess not. It’s not as though I want to stab you in your sleep.” You hinted strongly while Iris huffed.

Bartholomew looked between the two of you anxiously, “Right.. Um..” He turned to Iris, “Why don’t you tell the CCPD while I go prepare my house?”

It took her a while to budge but she did eventually. Bartholomew headed to the door, staring at you with a soft smile, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some rest for now. The doctor said you should be able to be discharged soon.”

You nodded mutely and snuggled further into the bed you were on which earned you a chuckle from Barry. The sound echoing in your ears as you were enveloped into a deep sleep.

-

True to his word, Bartholomew came to visit the next day. The two of you chatted aimlessly which helped you be relaxed around him. Before he left, he asked you what you needed to get while living with him. You protested that you could get the things yourself when he pointed out that you didn’t have any money and would probably want to change into something comfortable when you finally got discharged. It wasn’t until he said that his mother would buy the stuff when you finally relented, giving him a list.

It wasn’t really surprisingly to you that Mrs. Allen was still alive. Everything, well mostly everything, seemed different on this Earth so you supposed that it was only fair that she was still alive.

The next morning passed by quickly, the forms were filled out and you were finally free. Despite you being stable enough to walk by yourself, Bartholomew insisted that he help you to his car. Your arms were locked in his, making you blush profusely. You looked down at the outfit you had changed into from the ugly hospital gown. You were dressed in a loose thin white shirt that showed your belly button and skinny jeans with nicely fitting flats.

“Your mom has good taste.”

Bartholomew chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, “Yeah. She always wanted a daughter so she was more than happy to get stuff for you.”

The two of you stopped in front of his car while he unlocked it. He helped you in the passenger seat carefully.

“Well..” You brushed a lock of your hair behind your ear, “ If it’s okay with you, could we have her over for dinner sometime? I’d love it if I could thank her in person.”

He blinked in surprise and nodded slowly, “Yeah. Of course.” Your door closed before he went over to the driver’s side and started the engine. He drove in silence which you welcomed. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable or anything of the like so made you a bit surprised. You arrived at a rather modest home which made you smile. Bartholomew had practically sprinted over to your side to open your door. Your hands were clasped in his as he gripped yours tightly.

You broke the silence when you walked through the threshold of the place, “It’s nice.”

Everything was neatly organized and pictures were placed carefully around the house. At a closer examination, you realized that they were various pictures of Bartholomew in his youth, making you giggle.

“You were so adorable..” You breathed out unconsciously. Bartholomew merely smiled at you and slowly led you to the guest room he had. “I need to go check something out at the CCPD, will you be okay on your own?”

You laid down carefully on the bed and nodded, “Yeah. I’m just going to take a nap so I’ll be fine.”

He nodded and pointed in the direction of the home phone on the bedside, “I wrote my number there so if you need anything..”

“Thanks, Barry..” In your sleepiness, you didn’t bother to differentiate, though it wasn’t as if you noticed.”

A warm hand was pressed against your forehead before you were lulled in a deep sleep.

You awoke to a sound of clanking pans from the kitchen.

_‘Bartholomew..’_

You pushed yourself out of bed as much as your groggy state could and walked in the direction of the kitchen.

“Bartholomew? How long have you been home?”

The figure standing in front of the stove turned around, nearly giving you a freight. Standing tall and looking as beautiful as you saw her in the pictures from both universes, Nora Allen was a sight with her reddish-brown hair and clear blue eyes.

“O-Oh.. I’m sorry, Mrs. Allen.. I thought you were..”

She laughed, the sound playing like a lost record. She turned around and turned the stove down to a low setting before walking towards you.

“You thought that I was my son. I can’t say that it’s happened before but I understand where you got it from. I did come uninvited after all..”

Her gaze never broke from your figure which made you squirm.

She laughed to defuse any awkwardness, “I must say that I’ve never heard anyone call Barry by his full name in such a long time. How refreshing..”

You blushed, “W-Well I-”

She patted you on the head gently, “No need to explain. I’m sure we’ll know when you’re ready.” She walked back towards the stove, turning the best back up as she mixed the mixture around.

You couldn’t stop the sigh of relief that came. You sat down at the bar stool near the island and watched her cook, “I asked him to invite you over for dinner sometime so I could thank you but it seems as though you’ve read my mind.”

She looked over her shoulder and winked at you, “It was my pleasure. It’s not everyday that your only child calls you fanatically to ask you to help him buy a bra. “

You laughed boisterously at the image.

“But still.. It was very kind of you.. And your taste in clothes is absolutely wonderful.. I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay either of you..”

She smiled at you, “How about you help me with dinner? We can start there. “

You nodded eagerly and walked over to her.

Bartholomew had come home rather late to see the two of you sitting on the couch, facing each other, and eating some pie that you had made. The image of the two of you bonding warmed his heart even though he had no clue why his mother there.

You were the first one to stop laughing as the young man cautiously put down his keys on the countertop.

“Mom? You didn’t tell me you were coming over.”

“Iris called me and asked me to watch over Y/N when she found you at the station.” Nora turned and gave you an apologetic smile. You waved it off even though you **were** angry that that was the real reason that you met Nora in the first place.

Bartholomew saw right through you and tried to ease off your disappointment.

You smirked to ease off the guilt he felt and leaned over the couch, facing him, “So I’ve learned some interesting things about you..”

His face paled at your words, making you laugh. Nora did tell you some stuff about Bartholomew but it was more mundane things rather something embarrassing. Nora quickly caught onto your ruse and played along, “Relax, sweetheart. I didn’t tell Y/N anything too bad..” She discreetly winked at you, making you laugh.

Before he could ask more questions, Nora changed the subject with a grin.

“Y/N and I made dinner. She’s such a natural that I won’t have to worry about you poisoning yourself anymore.”

His face flushed, “Thanks, mom.” The sarcasm in his voice was weak which made Nora reply with a “No problem, dear.” as the young man walked to the dining table to eat.

Nora and you didn’t bother waiting for him to eat dinner so the two of you stayed on the couch talking. Every so often your eyes would wander away from Nora to Bartholomew who returned your glances when you weren’t looking. The woman noticed the stolen glances and hid her smile.

Her son was always awkward and so enraptured in his studies that she never saw him out with a girl. It was definitely a wonderful sight to see the beginning of what she knew would be something special.

You were nervous around Bartholomew because of your history with Barry but you were still drawn to him. Though you weren’t sure if it was residue feelings from your relationship with his counterpart. There was no denying that Bartholomew was an absolute sweetheart though.

Bartholomew, unbeknownst to you, was feeling the exact opposite. He felt peaceful the minute he met you. There was a new wave of emotion that came over him and sure, he wasn’t sure what it was but he was definitely going to find out. Especially with how happy it made him to see you and his mother getting along, even if they were joking at his own expense.

A shy smile made your way onto your lips as your glances finally met one another. You ducked your head to avoid seeing the warm expression on his face. Nora laughed delightfully as Bartholomew merely smiled at your embarrassment.

The sound of her laugh made your chest grow warm. You peeked from the corner of your eye to look at Bartholomew. Your erratic heartbeat slowed as you realized how lovely this moment was. A heartfelt memory in an inviting home with wonderful people. Maybe, just maybe, this was exactly what you needed.


	3. Coffee and Sunlight

“Good morning, Y/N” Bartholomew smiled at you as you walked in the room with your messed up hair. Your hand attempted to rake through the knots, making him snort into his coffee when your nose crinkled because your hand got stuck in the mess. 

 

“Coffee?” He offered the cup to you which you took gratefully. You drowned it, grimacing at the blackness of the drink. You looked up to see Bartholomew holding up the sugar and creamer. He set it on the counter with a laugh as you groaned. 

 

“I take it you aren’t a morning person.” 

 

“Not exactly..” He poured you another cup of coffee which you now added some creamer to. Your face sank contentedly as the warm drink dripped down your throat into your stomach. 

 

Bartholomew coughed to gain your attention, “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to but I took the day off today if you wanted a tour around Central City. I know you live here but I figured I could show you around and you could tell me any differences.. If you wanted.” 

 

You blinked, surprised. Sure, Bartholomew was nice since the moment you met him but you thought there would be an end to his chivalry since all the other counterparts that you’ve met so far were distrustful of you. 

 

“Yeah.. That would be great!” 

 

“Great then. Then i’ll get ready and we can go out.” 

 

You nodded before realization hit you. You looked down at yourself and blushed. You forgot how terrible you looked in the mornings. It was unusual for you to wake up with someone in the house with you so you forgot how bad you looked. He chuckled, “It’s fine. You’re fine.” 

 

He put his cup in the sink before he left in the direction of his room, “I’ll be ready soon.”

 

You followed his lead and drowned the rest of your drink before heading to your room. You brushed the knots of your hair gently, grimacing at the mess it was. Choosing a comfortable outfit, you changed and met Bartholomew out in the living room. 

 

“Where’s Nora?” You suddenly realized the woman’s absence after an hour of getting ready. He rolled his eyes playfully, “My dad couldn’t bear for her to be away so he picked her up.” 

 

You smiled, laughing into your palm, “Cute.”

 

The two of you exchanged glances as he mimicked your smile, “Yeah, cute.”

 

Bartholomew had brought you to a bunch of places around Central City. While you found that the overall idea was the same, you noticed the whole image that the Central City here and the one you knew were completely different. The one here was a mixture of the past and the future which you found awfully thrilling. The two of you compared notes on the differences when you stopped at a small restaurant nearby. 

 

Bartholomew’s eyes sparkled adorably at the new information that he gained from you. Slowly, after discussing things, the two of you fell into a comfortable silence. Your food was served after a while which apparently gave Bartholomew the courage to finally speak again. 

 

“Could.. Could I ask you something, Y/N?” 

 

You nodded, spinning your pasta around your fork, “Yeah. What’s up?” 

 

“Do you know the me from your Earth?”

 

Your hand froze at the question. You swallowed shallowly and jerked a nod. 

 

“Are we-,” He coughed, ”Are  **you** not close?” He wringed his hands nervously as if your answer would completely change the small friendship that you guys had started with each other.

 

“We’ve been friends for a couple of years.” You reluctantly confessed. He noticed your reluctance and directed his full attention to your words. You continued slowly, “I met you- I met  **him** when I started working at the school nearby. I was a substitute for the cooking teacher there. Of course, no one told me about the kidnapping that recently took there. That’s why Barry was there. He works with the CCPD as their forensic scientist.” 

 

You glanced at Bartholomew nervously from the corner of your eye at the similarity. 

 

“He burst into the classroom because he saw smoke and thought something bad was happening. A student just burnt his food. He apologized to me and we went out for coffee. It wasn’t long before we were glued to each other’s side. I met his friends Cisco and Caitlin. And even his mentor, Dr. Wells.” You laughed at the bewildered look on his face. He practically jumped out of his seat at the fact.

 

“ **I** knew him?  **You** knew  **the** Harrison Wells? His theory on string phenomenology was revolutionary! I have it laminated-” His voice trailed off as you smiled at his infatuation with the man that you had grown close with. 

 

You waved your hand dismissively with a grin, “Harry? He’s a big teddy bear. Not that impressive.” Of course you weren’t going to give him credit. The man was wonderful to you- once he warmed up to you. It was your persistence that had, in the end, gave the two of you a close friendship that gave you guys someone to confide in.

 

He slowly tried to calm his excitement before asking you to continue your story.

 

“We eventually started dating but got into a fight recently. Barry and I- Well.. There’s nothing to say besides that it wasn’t worth getting into.” An image of the magazine article with Iris West-Allen appeared in your mind as you stirred the straw in your cup of water absentmindedly. 

 

“Sorry- I- My counterpart sounds like an idiot.” You chuckled quietly.

 

“It wasn’t your fault, Bartholomew. No need to apologize. I just hope you realize that it’s not you that’s the problem. I can’t exactly call you Barry unless I want to remember certain things-” You flinched at the use of the name, “If anything I should say be saying sorry.” 

 

He shook his head, “No- It’s fine if you call me that. It sounds nice coming from you.” 

 

“Thank you.” The two of you fell once again into a short silence before someone brought up a meaningless topic which you managed to drone on and on about. 

 

Months passed, with days similar to that happening every so often since Bartholomew had insisted on spending time with you. 

 

You eventually stopped bumming around and had applied for a job at Central City University, getting a role as the Greek culinary instructor. You began to pay him back for rent, albeit discreetly since the man was too stubborn to accept it outfront. The two of you grew close, much to the delight of Nora and the disgruntlement of Iris who still was suspicious of you. You gave him more bits and pieces on your relationship with Barry which he accepted with great patience. 

 

The two of you fell slowly for the other slowly without the other realizing. Though even with the meddling of Nora, you never went for it for the fear of different things. Your fear that Bartholomew was in love with Iris still manifested even though he proved in many scenarios that he wasn’t interested in her anymore as a sister. Bartholomew, who had wholeheartedly accepted the fact that he was in love with you, was determined not to push you into a relationship since it was obvious that you were still upset over Barry. 

 

It was after one of your frequent dinners that Bartholomew had decided to tell you. He was watching the light shine on you in the dim lighting of the restaurant that had slowly began to be your place. Your h/c was glistening under the lighting which made his heart soften at the image in front of you. 

 

“I love you.” 

 

Your head snapped up in shock, “What?”

 

He nearly hit himself in his stupidity. He was planning on telling you eventually but surely this was too soon for you. You probably didn’t even trust him but it was too late now and he, at the least, owed it to you to tell you the truth. 

 

“I love you. I’m in love with you, Y/N.. I’m in love with how much of a mess you are when you wake up. I’m in love with how you can’t bring yourself to be nice to anyone until you’ve had your cup of coffee. I’m in love with your intelligence. I’m in love with how you aren’t afraid to tell someone that they’re in the wrong. I’m in love with the way that your eye sparkles when talking about something that is important to you. I’m in love with how you care about your students. I’m in love with how you’ve managed to accept me for my dorkiness. I’m in love with the way the sun shines down on you because you look so beautiful to me, even more so because of how terrible I’ve seen the world be. I’m in love with your sense of justice. I’m in love with your relationship with my parents. I’m in love with that laugh of yours when you find something hilarious. I’m in love with you and I know that this isn’t the right time because of your relationship with Barry but I thought that you should- no.. I needed you to know. I’m going to wait until you’re ready and when you are- I’m going to court you.” 

 

He had left, with a brief kiss on your hand and a nervous but sincere smile, to his room. You stared at the spot he had previously stood in shock. It was a shame that Bartholomew had left since he had missed the smile that formed on your lips. 

 

The next day had begun. Light bursting through the windows, birds chirping as it usually did. Bartholomew had gotten up and had begun the coffee like he usually did, nerves wrecking his entire person. 

 

He hadn’t notice you as you skipped into the room, your usually unruly hair, brushed and tied into a ponytail. Your clean up appearance was a contrast to his messy appearance. A switch from the usual. You had dressed up for the upcoming day while Bartholomew had dark circles under his eyes and was still dressed from yesterday’s evening; the clothes rustled up from laying in bed. 

 

You grabbed the coffee from his hands and set it on the counter carefully before you turned him around to face you. He barely managed to be surprise before your lips captured his in a soft kiss. He squeaked in surprise, breaking it. You laughed and lowered yourself from your tippy toes and leaned your forehead on his shoulder, “I love you.” 

 

Words that made his heart skipped several beats. He had to look at you to make sure which only made you grin and nod quickly. He picked you up and spun you around, making you laugh loudly. He lowered you on the ground and pulled you closer, pulling you into another kiss. One that was appropriately reciprocated from both ends.


	4. Little Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh! I'm so happy with the progress I've made in this story. This chapter was 14 pages long. I actually have the text messages between them written out and you can check them out on my shared imagines blog, grantgustinimagines

A week had passed since the two of you confessed. You were both busy with work though so you had yet to set up a first date but it was fine because meanwhile, the awkward nature of Bartholomew was slowly melting away as the two of you exchanged text messages. Barry had worked in the daytime while you worked at night so it was rare that you saw each other despite living in the same house. 

 

Today however, was your first day off in ages. You were settled onto the couch with a glass of wine when your phone buzzed. 

 

**“Y/N, my mom is coming over so be prepared.”**

 

Bartholomew. 

 

You smiled at his tense message, “ **Prepared? You make it sound like she’s some army general, Bartholomew.”**

 

You could practically see him sputtering out his excuse, “ **Of course not! She’s just- really excited to see you.** ” 

 

“ **Bartholomew Allen! Are you telling me there’s a time where she isn’t excited to see me?** ”

 

**“Y/N, you know that’s not what I meant.”**

 

A quick text came soon after, “ **She’s just excited for you to meet Dad.”**

 

That’s right. You had yet to met the famous Henry Allen. Sure, you had spoken to him on the phone before and were actually pretty comfortable with the man but today would be the first time for you to meet face-to-face. It was slightly nerve-wrecking. 

 

“ **Mhm.. I’m sure that’s it.”** You teased.

 

“ **Y/N, please.”** Bartholomew could never take your’s (or Nora’s for that matter) teasing but you enjoyed watching him, or at least knowing that he was going to, squirm. 

 

“ **I’m joking.”**

 

“ **Goodness. I shouldn’t have introduced you to my mother. The two of you tease me endlessly.** ” 

 

“ **.. Technically you didn’t introduce us. She just let herself in your apartment.** ” 

“ **Since when do you focus on technicalities?** ”

 

“ **Since I started living with you, duh** .”  You hoped you could see your eyeroll. You continued your text, “ **Don’t worry, dinner will be ready by the time they’ll get here.** ” 

 

The next text came after several minutes, “ **Thanks, Y/N** .”

 

You smiled and left your phone on the coffee table, pushing yourself off the couch. You sauntered over to the kitchen and turned on the stove before you. You surveyed the ingredients in the kitchen before you started prepping everything. 

 

Miraculously, the Allens came home just as everything was ready to plate. You were carefully cutting out a piece of the Briám for each of the plates when you heard the front door unlock. 

 

Bartholomew called out to you, “Y/N, I'm home..”

 

You heard him wince while Nora scolded him playfully, “It's ‘honey, I'm home’, Barry. “ Bartholomew groaned as you snickered to yourself before replying, “Welcome home, sweetheart!” 

 

You had to tease him. 

 

You added quickly before she could jest at you, “Hi, Nora!”

 

Several pairs of footsteps were heard and just as you placed the last plate on the table; you turned around to see all of the Allens. You gave Nora a hug, smirking at Bartholomew as you did so, before you greeted Henry face to face for the first time. 

 

“Hi.. It's nice to finally meet you. “

 

He smiled boyishly,”Likewise. It's wonderful to know that you're exactly as Nora described and how you seemed over calls. “ 

 

You laughed, “Thank you, Henry.”

 

You gestured for everyone to sit down and went to grab drinks for everyone. 

 

Everyone ate with some chatter every now and then. It was when you noticed that everyone had finished their plate. You smiled, “How about some dessert?”

 

“Dessert? You didn’t have to make any! This dish was good enough! What is it anyway?” 

 

Nora chuckled at Henry’s words.

“It’s called Briám.. It’s the Greek’s answer to Confit Byaldi. A dish of vegetables essentially.”

 

Nora smiled, “You’ll teach me how to make it, won’t you?” 

 

“Of course!” 

 

Bartholomew cut in, almost excitedly, “And what happens to be dessert?” 

 

“Baklava. If you’re not allergic to nuts then I’m confident you’ll like it.” 

 

“That, of which, I have no doubt.” 

 

You smiled and went into the kitchen to grab the baklava. You were cutting out pieces when Nora walked in with the dirty dishes. She set the plates in the sink and watched you plate the pieces on new plates. 

 

“So how are you and my son?”

 

“I’m sorry?” Your hand stilled at the question, the syrup pouring off the ladle onto the pieces. Your head had snapped up at an alarming rate, making the woman snicker. 

 

“I heard that he finally confessed to you..” 

 

You snapped out of your confused daze and continued onto the next piece until they were all doused with syrup. You blushed and duck your head to hide the blush, “He did.. He was very..” 

 

“Shy?” 

 

“He was actually pretty forward with his feelings.. It was beautiful..” 

 

Nora placed her hands in yours after she put the ladle in the sink. You looked at the woman who was smiling brightly at you. 

 

“I’m so glad that your feelings are mutual.. I want to hear all about your first date..” 

 

“We.. Haven’t been on one yet..” 

 

“What? But it’s been weeks since you’ve confessed!” She yelled incredulously. 

 

“We’ve both been busy with work and our schedules are always conflicting with the other but we’ll get to it soon..” 

 

The two of you brought out the baklava, breaking the men’s conversation. The night soon ended with you promising to keep in touch with the older Allens. 

 

Of course, you followed your promise. Though, surprisingly, you spoke more with Henry now. He was facetiming you off of your Macbook Pro. 

 

You laughed at the image in front of you. Henry was standing close to the screen and holding a morphed bar of soap. 

 

“T-Tha.. That doesn’t even look like a ring! Much less like Nora’s!” You clutched your stomach, leaning forward, hitting your head on the top of the screen as you did so. 

 

Henry’s voice echoed loudly off of your computer, “But it looks nice, right?” 

 

You merely laughed in response. 

 

Your phone lit up with a text from Bartholomew, “ **.. Are you facetiming my dad?”**

 

You smiled and swiped over, texting back, “ **No…..”**

 

“ **You are! I can hear him laughing from my room!”** You glanced at the open door of your room. ‘ _ Oops.’ _

 

**“What’s wrong with me facetiming your dad? He’s just showing me this hilarious thing that he made for Nora.”** Henry noticed your lack of attention and merely wiggled his eyebrows suggestively which made you roar with laughter as you struggled to type your next message, “ **Man, your dad is terrible with gifts. I hope you didn’t get that from him.”**

 

**“What did he make her?”**

 

You smiled and typed in the chat bar of skype,  **“I’m telling Bartholomew about the terrible gift you made, Nora.”**

 

Henry faked a pout, “Terrible?” 

 

**“Welllll… He might’ve made her a carved soap in the shape of her wedding ring.”** And before he could reply, “ **And let’s just say that it doesn’t even look remotely close to a ring much less hers.”**

 

It took several minutes for Bartholomew to reply in which you said your goodbyes to Henry. 

 

“ **Ugh. When I gave him your number, this isn’t what I meant.”**

 

**“Oh? And what did you mean?”**

 

**“You did say it yourself that he was bad with presents. I was hoping that since you’re.. You know.. A girl.. You can help him out.”**

 

This was the perfect chance to tease him again so you texted him back, **“I’m a WHAT? Why did you wait this long to tell me that i’m of the female gender? I thought we were friends, Bartholomew. Betrayed. I feel so betrayed!”** You laughed at your response. It was lucky that you weren’t in the same room together because you would’ve had to put on your theatrical skills on show.

 

“ **Y/N…”**

 

**“Haha. Okay, Mr. Tight Wad. I’ll help your dad out. It’s a good thing that Nora told me what she wanted for their anniversary.”** You relented, rolling your eyes. “ **.. You might have to chip in though since tickets to Atlantis are apparently hard to get.** ” 

 

**“Don’t worry about it. Thanks, Y/N.”**

 

You smiled at your phone and set down your phone at your side. You rolled over on your side and smiled widely, slowly smothering your face with the pillow, squealing mentally. 

 

The next day, you finally bought tickets for Atlantis for the two lovebirds with the help of Bartholomew. He took the chance and grabbed your hand, “Let’s go out.”

 

“Huh?” You blinked at him in confusion. 

 

“Our first date. Let’s go now.. We’re both off work now so what better time than the present?”

 

You laughed excitedly, “I suppose that’s true. But where will we go?”

 

He took in the view of you, your hair tossed over your shoulder and your eyes almost twinkling at him, “Come on.. I have a place in mind..” 

 

You nodded, grabbing your things before following him. He lead you down a street that you went down everyday and stopped at a small shop that you seemed to have overlooked. You stepped inside and took in the place with all. It was a small comfortable looking cafe. It reminded you of CC Jitters but more homey. Jazz music blared from the speakers that you couldn’t seem to find which made you love the place even more since it set the perfect mood. 

 

Bartholomew led you to a place to sit and went to order some drinks for you. You pulled your jacket closer to yourself as you waited for him. He came back with two drinks in hand and went to hand you yours when the drink unexpectedly tipped over and spilled over him. 

You let out a surprised yelp before jumping up to help him with the stain. Normally you would’ve joked to him about it if it weren’t for how upset Bartholomew seemed to be. You dapped at the fabric of his jacket and smiled reassuringly at your date. 

 

“I-I am so sorry, Y/N!” He gasped out apologies while you put your hand reassuringly on his shoulder. The waitress came and grabbed the dirty cup, smiling at you guys which you returned. 

 

“I’ll get you another drink..” He went to go do so when you stopped him. 

 

“It’s fine, Bartholomew. I’ll just share with you.. If that’s alright?” You quirked your head to the side to which he blushed. He sat beside you on the couch. You rested your head on his shoulder delicately as he sipped his hot drink. Hopefully he was okay with you doing so. The two of you stayed in silence though Bartholomew tried to strike up a conversation ever so often in an attempt to make the date ‘better’. 

 

The date lasted until the cafe had to close. You thanked the waitress for letting you guys to stay as long as possible while Bartholomew apologized. The two of you walked home with mindless chatter from passerbyers as your surroundings. 

 

Bartholomew was taking off his jacket when you surprised him with a kiss on his cheek. 

 

“Thank you for the date, Bartholomew..” 

 

You retreated to your room before he count answer you and stripped off your clothes, getting ready for bed. 

 

You were lying in your bed, debating whether or not to message Bartholomew when you decided to just take the chance. 

 

“ **Bartholomew?”**

 

His reply was instant as if he was having the same trouble with deciding whether or not to message you. “ **Yeah, Y/N? Did you need something?”**

 

“ **No, no. Just stay in your room. This needs to be over text or I’ll be super embarrassed.”**

 

**“Embarrassed?”**

 

You didn’t give him enough time to be confused when you answered, “ **Thanks for the wonderful date, Bartholomew. You really made it special and that means more than the world to me! Two dimensions, if you will.”** You couldn’t help but sneak in the little quip to cover your embarrassment.

 

You frowned at his text message, “ **Wonderful? I completely ruined it. I should’ve brought you somewhere special instead of some coffee house and I even spilled your drink on myself. It was a nightmare.”**

 

You attempted to ease his worries with a bit of teasing, “ **Hey, hey. I know you’re bad with girls but rule number one is don’t ever tell a girl that being with her is a nightmare.”**

 

The reply was hurried and depressing, “ **You were the only good thing about it.”**

 

**“I beg to differ.”** You replied instantaneously. “ **You took me to a coffee house. It was special despite what you say. It reminded me of our mornings together not to mention it was different from the typical dim lighting fancy restaurant.”**

 

“ **But I must’ve ruined it when I spilled your drink. And embarrassed myself when I spilled it on me.”** You narrowed your eyes. Why was he so upset? 

 

“ **No, Bartholomew. It was nothing. It ruined nothing. It was a perfect night for me because I was with the man I love and he was trying everything in his power to make me feel special. It’s the thought that counts and the thought was more than enough for me.”** You cringed after you sent the text. You almost sounded like a scolding mother.

 

“ **... I really did okay?”**

 

You laughed,  **“You did. You even scored another date with yours truly.”**

 

**“Great. Awesome. Thanks, Y/N.”**

 

**“Thank you for the date, Bartholomew. I love you.”** You answered.

 

“ **I love you too. Good night!”**

 

**“Sweet dreams!”** You couldn’t resist the kissing emoji at the end. 

 

You put down your phone and sighed. Starting tomorrow, you would make sure that Bartholomew knew how much you meant to him and how he could never ruin it for you. It was the little things that mattered to you after all.


	5. Regrets and Meanings

~Meanwhile on Earth Prime~

“I’m an idiot.”

 

“I think that’s quite an understatement at the moment, man.” Cisco shook his head at Barry. 

 

“How did Zoom manage to get her?” 

 

“Besides the fact that he took your moment of weakness and the fact that he can run faster than you in consideration?”

 

“Yes, besides that.” 

 

“Look. He’ll take any chance he can get to ruffle your feathers.” 

 

“Feathers, really? My girlfriend just got kidnapped and you’re pulling a terrible joke?”

 

“Technically, she isn’t your girlfriend anymore. Y/N is single.” Harry stated in an absolute tone. 

 

Barry’s body froze, “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

 

“I mean.. It’s your fault that she got kidnapped and after you save her; you have to leave her alone.” 

 

“I can’t leave her alone.” 

 

“You can and you will, Allen. Y/N deserves better than what she got from you.”

 

“What like you?” 

 

“Like I said, better.” Harry avoided divulging into his feelings on his friend. He continued, Barry’s silence moving him forward, “We need to think this through. If Zoom has her and we’re going to save her then we need to be prepared.” 

 

“I can do it just fine on my own..” 

 

“You aren’t strong enough, Barry. “ 

 

“I can do thi-” 

 

Harry interrupted, “Do you really want to put Y/N’s life in more harm than it possibly already is?”

 

“.. Fine.. What do we need to do?” 

 

“We’ll go through the breach. Just the two of us so there won’t be as many casualties.”

 

“Casualties..”

“I’m not saying there will be any but we can’t afford to be the reason for any. I’ll get the stuff that we’ll need but you should get home and get some rest. We’ll need your speed to help us through the breach.” 

 

Barry nodded mutely and left. 

 

There really wasn’t much to do but leave things in Harry’s hands since he knew more. As much as Barry hated to admit that there really wasn’t much he could do; it was what he was reduced to doing. 

 

It took an hour after you left for him to realize what had actually happened between the two of you. Barry had flashed over to the West house where Iris was still going at it with the pizza that he brought her. 

 

_ “Barry?”  _

 

_ “Iris..” He fell to the floor with a gasp.  _

 

_ “Barry, what happened?”  _

 

_ “Y/N.. She.. We.. We broke up..”  _

 

_ “What? Why would she..” _

 

_ “She was tired of me putting you first..”  _

 

_ “But we’re best friends, Barry. If she thinks that you actually would’ve put her first then you’re better off without her.”  _

 

_ “No.. She was right, Iris. I didn’t treat her right. We’re best friends but that doesn’t mean that I should have to drop everything to console you because Eddie died.” Iris flinched at the mention of his name.  _

 

_ “What are you saying, Barry?”  _

 

_ “I’m saying.. I’m saying that I think we need a break. I can’t help you get over Eddie. I need to get my girlfriend back.. And this time, I’m going to make sure she knows what she means to me.”  _

 

_ “Are you seriously choosing her over me?” _

 

_ “I’m not. I’m choosing myself. I love her, Iris. You’re like a sister to me but I’m not going to lose her anymore than I already have.”  _

_ “She doesn’t know you like I do.” _

 

_ “See..” He smiled bitterly, “She doesn’t know me because I never tell her about my troubles. But she’s still the reason why I feel less of a burden. She’s the reason why I know what love even means. It’s more than just a relationship. It’s troubles and tribulations. It’s laughing at tiny little things.. It’s fighting for what makes you happy..” _

 

_ “You’re going to regret this, Barr. “ _

 

_ “As long as she knows.. If she knows then I’ll regret nothing.” With that, he sped away.  _

 

Of course, while you weren’t exactly in hiding; you weren’t exactly easy to get into contact with either. You avoided him every chance you got. It hurt when you unfriended Barry and changed your relationship status and then Zoom had kidnapped you before he could even attempt to resolve things between the two of you. 

 

He wiped the tears that were trailing down his face with the back of his hand, “I’ll save you, Y/N.. I promise..” 

 


	6. Remarks and Tickles

“This is amazing, Henry! How did you ever get these?” Nora held the tickets to Atlantis to her chest before kissing Henry sweetly.

  
Bartholomew had called you earlier in the day to tell you that his parents had insisted that the two of you come over for dinner in celebration for their anniversary. You agreed with the condition that you would be the one to cook in order to give the Allens a relaxing day.

  
It was after the dinner when the four of you had sat in the living room. You and Nora were snuggled up to your individual significant others while they held onto your waists.

  
Henry rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward laugh. “Our kids actually helped me out there..”

  
Bartholomew kissed the side of your head as you beamed at Henry's choice of words. Nora turned to the two of you and left Henry's grasp before pulling you into a hug. She kissed both sides of your cheeks before moving onto her son.

  
Henry smiled at you when you glanced at him tearfully from the side.

  
Nora stood in front of you with a smile as she pretended to whisper, “Thank you for not letting him give me more soap.”

  
The four of you laughed together while Henry pretended to be hurt.

  
“Come on, sweetheart.. Did you really want our house to be run over with them?”

  
“You mean you don't want our guests to have amazing hygiene?” He quipped.

  
Bartholomew glanced at you before you busted out in laughter. You leaned back into him, your face half snuggled into his side. He hugged you tighter to him, his body shaking in silent laughter; briefly kissing the top of your head.

  
Nora sent a delighted smile to Henry. He chuckled in return, making your cheeks heat up.

  
“Now you know I love you kids but I need some alone time with my Nora and I'm sure you would like be alone each other so we'll see you before we leave?”

  
Nora smacked Henry’s chest with mock anger while you laughed.

  
“Of course. If there's anything you guys need help packing or anything then feel free to call us!” You offered, hugging Henry who kissed your cheek while Bartholomew hugged Nora.

  
“Have fun ~” You teased, retreating to the front door, Bartholomew trailing behind you.

  
Henry chuckled, “Don't we always?”

  
“Dad, please. No.” Bartholomew pleaded, obviously disgusted.

  
Nora laughed, practically pushing the both of you out of the door, “Have a nice night, you two.”

  
The day they they had to leave for their trip came by too soon, in your view; and in Bartholomew's, not soon enough.

  
“Have fun, you two! You definitely have to bring back pictures of your trip; I want to know what the place looks like.” You told them, confessing that the place was a place of fantasy on your Earth.

  
“Of course! Though-” Nora paused, thinking pensively, “-I’m sure you’ll see it soon enough, my dear.”

  
“Mom!” Bartholomew interrupted, his face flushed red.

  
You watched in confusion as they both exchanged a silent conversation with one another but before you could wonder what it was about; Henry interrupted your thoughts as he said goodbye to you.

  
“I’m going to miss you, kiddo. Take care of yourself and Bartholomew, okay?” Your eyes watered, nodding immediately to his request as he pulled you into a fatherly hug.

  
“Have a great anniversary trip, Henry. You and Nora deserve it.”

  
Nora and Bartholomew were watching the two of you now. You stepped back into Bartholomew’s arms and spoke again, to the both of them, “We’ll miss you guys.”

  
Nora pulled you into a hug, kissing your cheek affectionately, “We love you two. Stay safe, alright? We’ll be back before you know it. Don’t do anything too exciting without us.” She looked over your shoulder, looking at Bartholomew pointingly.

  
“Now, now. That’s enough, Nora. I’m sure it won’t happen without us.”

  
_‘It? What are they talking about?’_

  
A voice sounded from the intercom, making you jump in surprise at how loud it was, “Will the passengers for the trip to Atlantis please come to gate 34. I repeat ‘will the passengers for the trip to Atlantis please come to gate 34.’ We are now boarding.”

  
“That’s our cue!” Nora squealed, delighted that her trip was finally beginning. She pulled the two of you in a hug, “We’ll call you guys when we get there, alright? I love you both.” She practically sprinted in the direction of the gate, pulling her suitcase along with her.

  
Henry chuckled at his wife’s antics, “I better go after her. Now don’t throw any parties while we’re gone, alright?” He joked.

  
You and Bartholomew replied on impulse at his words, “Yes, dad.”

  
Henry beamed at your words while you froze. “Dad, I love the sound of that.” He winked at you.

  
Then- looking over in the direction that Nora went off in, he remembered how he was late to the gate. “Bye, you two.” He waved before running after Nora.

  
You chortled at his antics. Bartholomew looked at you with adoration, slowly leading you out of the building as Henry’s figure disappeared from view. You leaned into his arms, snuggling into him, making him chuckle.

  
“What are you, a cat?”

  
“Maybe~” You grinned, holding your hands in an imitation of a kitty’s. “Meow?”

  
He fell back a few steps, guffawing at the action.

  
You huffed, faking annoyance, “Why are you laughing at me? You’re terrible.”

  
“You love me.” He stated, the most goofy look on his face.

  
“Do I?” You pretended to think about it.

  
“Mmhm..” He hummed, not one bit concerned.

  
“I dunno~ I can’t be too sure.” You continued to tease.

  
His eyebrow raised at your tease before he slowly stalked towards you, holding out his hands in preparation.

  
You knew that look in his eyes.

  
“Bartholomew Allen, don’t you dare!-” You attempted to warn only to be attacked with his hands tickling your sides.

  
Tears rose to the edges of your eyes as you struggled to breathe, “No! Pff- Barr, don’t! Please!”

  
“Say it~” He continued his tickling, moving even faster than before.

  
“Okay- okay! I love you!”

  
“You love who?”

  
“I love you, Bartholomew Allen!” You exclaimed loudly, making bystanders look at the two of you.

  
He immediately stopped, holding you his arms with a content smile on his face, “I love you too, Y/N..” He pecked your lips happily.

  
“Let’s go home?” You looked at him, marveling at the emotions that were displayed on his face. Nodding slowly, you let him lead you back to the home the two of you shared never noticing the two familiar figures that stood mixed in the crowds.


	7. Surprises

“Please tell me what we saw was just a figment of my imagination.” Barry pleaded, not even the tiniest bit relieved that Y/N was now in a relationship with his doppelganger.

 

“I think it depends on if we saw the same thing, Allen.” Harry stated, dully.

 

“Can you not do this right now?”

 

Harry sighed, “Yes, I saw Y/N with the Barry Allen from my Earth. They seemed quite cosy with one another.”

 

“ **Great.** ”

 

Harry sighed and headed in the direction that you left with Bartholomew when Barry pulled him back. “What is it, Allen?”

 

“Don’t you think we should have a plan instead of just waltzing up in front of them like everything is alright?” 

 

“What do you propose we do, Barry?”

 

“Maybe we should find out everything we can first.. Do you still have access to your lab?”

 

“Did you really just ask if I still have access to  **my** lab?”

 

“Point made.”

 

The two headed in Earth-2’s S.T.A.R Labs where Barry told Harry his plan. He had Harry then access his computer and start researching everything he could about Barry’s counterpart before reiterated the information to Barry, as well as information about his Earth. 

 

“This is possibly the dumbest idea that I’ve seen you have yet but do as you see fit.” Harry leaned back in the chair that lied behind his desk, rubbing his forehead in order to calm himself. 

 

In a second, Barry’s familiar red blur ran through his office before it brought back the stuffy looking Barry from before. The doppelganger caught sight of Harry first and excitedly let out squeals about his theory on string phenomenology. 

 

“Just wait until Y/N finds out that I met you-  **I** met  **you.** This actually happened. I mean she said that this wouldn’t be as amazing as I ever imagined it would be but that was so wrong. This is amazing.  **I** , Bartholomew Allen, have finally met  **the** Dr. Harrison Wells. Wait.. How did I get here? I was at home with Y/N and then I blinked and I was-” Bartholomew’s eyes wandered around the room before they caught sight of Barry. His posture and expression immediately changed into lividness. “ **You.** ”

 

“Mr. Allen, I’m guessing you know who this is.”

 

“Well, I’m assuming that my newly found twin happens to be the same Barry Allen that was stupid enough to let Y/N go.”

 

“That's him.” Harry leaned back in his chair, amused by the scene in front of him.

 

“Wow- Do I have some words for you..” Bartholomew chuckled humorously. “Thank you.”

 

“Thank you? Why are you thanking me?”

 

“You let Y/N go. I would've never met her if you didn't treat her terribly.”

 

Harry let out a silent laugh at the gall of Bartholomew.

 

“Yeah.. Well, I hope you've had enough fun with her because we're bringing her back.”

 

“Really? Have you told her that? I doubt that she would want that.”

 

“You doubt that she would want that? She has a life back on our Earth!”

 

“Right.. From what I heard she has nothing there. At least here, she has people that care about her.”

 

“ **We** care about her.”

 

“So you claim but I’ve yet to see you guys show that you do.” Bartholomew scowled with his arms crossed over his chest.

 

“We do.” Barry insisted.

 

“I’m sure.” Bartholomew replied with biting sarcasm.

 

“We’re bringing her back.” Barry told his counterpart with a challenging tone.

 

“Just try. She won’t want to go back.” Bartholomew said confidently.

 

Barry stepped forward slowly before he swiftly jabbed the taser that was hidden in his hand in the edge of Bartholomew’s ribs, turning it on. Bartholomew’s body convulsed from the electrical shock before falling into the chair that was conveniently placed behind him.

 

“You actually did it.” Harry spoke with almost astonishment.

 

“We’re getting Y/N back.”

 

“Not without a fight, it seems.” Harry’s eyes trailed from the determination on Barry’s face to the unconscious body of Bartholomew. Barry pretended that he couldn’t hear Harry’s words before he quickly changed his clothes with Bartholomew. He checked to see if his appearance was right, grimacing as he did so. 

 

“Who dresses like this?”

 

“You do.” Harry replied with a snort.

 

“No-” Barry argued, “He does.”

 

“Regardless of how different the two of you are, he’s still you, Allen.”

 

The said boy huffed before racing over to where he had kidnapped Bartholomew. He reached into the pockets of his new slacks and found a huge ring of keys. Impatiently, he sped through the ring until the lock on the house sounded and allowed him inside. 

 

“Bartholomew?” Your voice rang sweetly from down the hall making Barry freeze. Despite all the planning that he and Harry did, he never really prepared himself for when he would see you again. You never gave him enough time to compose himself before you walked into view. You were dressed perfectly to fit in this dimension while still retaining your old style. His breath caught as you went up to him and pulled him into a hug. “When did you leave? Nora called me saying that they wanted us to watch their house for us. I was going to suggest that we go over to your parents now but I couldn’t find you anywhere..”

 

His parents? Were they still alive?

 

“S-Sorry-” His voice cracked as he attempted to find his words. “-I- um needed to go and get some air.”

 

Your head crooked to the side in a moment of pondering. “Well alright.. But I still wish you had told me. I was worried.”

 

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” Barry told you though he was speaking more on how he hurt you rather than about his lie.

 

You shook your head. “I’m not mad at you but you still haven’t answered my question. Did you want to go now? If you aren’t feeling well then we can go later tonight..”

 

“No. Yeah, we can go now.” Barry shook his head adamantly, eager to get a glimpse of his childhood home.

 

“Alright. Let me go get my bag and you can go pack up some stuff meanwhile.” Y/N headed up the stairs and went into what he supposed was her room. They were  **living** together?

 

Barry headed in the opposite direction that Y/N went in and found what was presumably Bartholomew’s room. Scattered around the room was frames of him together with Y/N as well as his parents. Somehow managing to shake him out of the little trance that the images had on him, he started packing up some clothes in a duffel bag he found neatly placed in the closet. He grabbed some other things that he figured he would need before he headed downstairs where Y/N was already putting on shoes. You turned in his direction as you heard his footsteps.

 

“Oh good. You’re ready.” 

 

Y/N headed out the door first and thankfully lead the way over to his parents’ house. He hurriedly locked the door to their shared home before he jogged over to you. Their house wasn’t all too far from where Bartholomew was staying with Y/N and he wasn’t sure if that was a relief or not. Y/N unlocked the doors with the keys that you had fished out from your pocket before heading inside. With the lights turned on, the place was beautifully decorated. Pictures of Bartholomew and his parents were scattered among the walls; some were just of the couple themselves and placed on the kitchen counter was what he could only call a family picture.. One including Y/N.

 

You set down your bag by some scattered shoes before you took them off. The house echoed with a ring, making Barry jump from surprise. You didn’t bat an eye as you maneuvered around the house and picked up the house phone. “Guess they’ve arrived.”

 

You answered on speaker with a grin on your face. “Hello, Allen residence. The Mr. and Mrs. are on a beautiful trip to Atlantis so I’m afraid you’ll have to settle for the younger Allen and me.”

 

Loud laughter sounded. “Hello to you too, Y/N.” 

 

Barry perked up at the familiar sound of his father- or rather Bartholomew’s father's voice and headed in the direction of the phone.

 

“We’ve arrived! This is the call that we promised you two.” A voice that he hadn’t heard in years, his mother, said excitedly.

 

“Where’s my slugger?” Henry asked.

 

He didn’t answer until Y/N jabbed at his ribs pointedly. “I-I’m here, dad,.. Mom.”

 

“There you are! Can you take yourself into our bedroom and grab something for me?”

 

Y/N turned off the speaker and disconnected the phone from its charging port before handing it to him. “Go ahead..” You whispered. “I’m going to go make some dinner for us.”

 

Blindedly, he headed through the first door that he found, holding the phone against his ear. 

 

“Are you there, honey?” Nora asked.

 

Barry surveyed the room and was thankful that it showed traces of what he figured Bartholomew’s parents would be like. 

“Yeah.”

 

“Great.” Henry sighed, reassured.

 

“Darling, we put a surprise for you in the top drawer of our nightstand.”

 

“Put what?” Barry asked confused as he went up to the said stand.

 

“Open it, slugger.” Bartholomew’s father urged him gently.

 

Barry slowly tugged at the handle of the top drawer of the nightstand. His face twisted in a mixture of repulsion and curiosity, “ ‘Positions to Spice It Up In the Bedroom’?”

 

“What? No-” Nora fumbled over her words in embarrassment and paused in confusion. “Sorry.. Look in the bottom drawer, honey.”

 

He kneeled down and grasped the handle of drawer. His breath sucked in as he found a velvet black ring box waiting for him in the middle of the drawer. He pulled it out and opened it up to find an antique looking ring inside. An engagement ring. It was an engagement ring that he could imagine resting perfectly on your finger.

 

Bartholomew was proposing to you.


	8. Home

“It was your grandmother’s. She had it saved for you..” Henry’s voice echoed from the phone.

 

Nora continued softly, “Y/N saw it when she was helping me clean up the house and loved it. I never wore it because your dad bought me one on his own. I thought it would be nice if you gave her this since you haven’t bought one yet..”

 

“There’s no way that Y/N would say yes to this..” Barry said in shock, shaking his head adamantly.

 

“Of course she would!” Henry scolded. “The girl loves you and she’s already family in our hearts. You have nothing to worry about, son.”

 

“I-I need to go..” Barry hung up the phone without a second thought and stared at the ring, brushing his finger along the gemstone.

 

_ “You let Y/N go. I would've never met her if you didn't treat her terribly.” _

 

_ “It’s your fault that she got kidnapped and after you save her; you have to leave her alone.”  _

 

Was it true? Did he drive her straight into Bartholomew’s arms? Barry was confident that he could apologize to you when he found you and you would get your happily ever after together but now, he wasn’t sure. You loved him- only, you didn't. It was just someone who looked like him. Someone that treated you better. Of course with his luck, he would come just in time as Bartholomew was going to propose to Y/N and with the way that you looked at him; Barry knew deep down that he had lost you.

 

In the end, Barry wasn't sure how long he stayed in that spot, grasping on the ring that should've been from him. It wasn't until you knocked on the door did he snap out of his agonizing thoughts. He hurried and hid the ring in the pocket that Bartholomew’s slacks had because he wasn’t sure what he would do if you saw it and agreed on the spot.

 

Your head peeked through the door, “Dinner is ready. Everything taken care of for them?”

 

“Y-Yeah..” Barry stood up slowly, his hand resting on the bed to balance himself.

 

You immediately ran to his side, worried. “What's -wrong?”

 

“Nothing,-” His answer was immediate. “-I guess I'm just a bit hungry.”

 

“I have everything set so come on then..” You grabbed onto his hand and started pulling him towards the dining room. Barry held back from salivating at the smell of your food; something that he hadn’t seen or eaten in what seemed to be ages. Once you had sat down, he had dug in with vicious intent. You had only cooked for him once and he had taken it for granted so the two of you only ate out ever since that night. Barry had no doubt that Bartholomew was eager to come home from work and eat your food every night. Once there was no food left, he still was left hungry since his metabolism was too fast for a normal being. The silence was deafening, leaving him to his thoughts.

 

“Could I ask you something?” Barry spit out hesitantly.

 

“Go ahead.” You smiled encouragingly.

 

With a hard swallow, Barry pulled the box out of Bartholomew’s pocket and laid it on top of the table in front of you. Though it remained closed, he was sure that you would know what was inside.

 

“Barry?” Your voice came out as a harsh whisper. Too nervous at what your reply would be, it didn’t registered in his mind whose name you were calling out.

 

“If I asked you to marry me- If I proposed right now- would you say yes?”

 

It was a question that could go either way but it was obvious that he only expected one answer and not the one that you replied with.

 

“ **No** . No, I wouldn’t.”

 

“Y-You wouldn’t?” Barry held back a smile, growing relief flowing through his veins.

 

“Why would you even think that I would agree? Barry-” He flinched, finally realizing who you were really talking to. “- I don’t even think there was even one moment where I’ve been happy with you when we first started dating. I was completely hurt when you never even tried to reassure me that you weren’t in love with Iris. It was hard for me not to associate Bartholomew with you but then I realized how different he was from you. I’m honestly thankful that Zoom brought me here because I’ve never been happier. There was nothing for me over there but here- here I have a family, people that love me.”

 

“ **I** love you!” Barry unconsciously stood, his chest heaving as he felt you slipping further and further out of his grasp.

 

“No- No, you don’t! Before- I’ve never had a place that I felt at home but now..  **Now** , I do. Bartholomew is my home. I can’t believe you have the nerve to come here, impersonate Bartholomew and propose like I would ever agree!” Your voice raised, the red flush on your face made it obvious how angry you were.

 

“H-How did you know?”

 

“Are you kidding? You might be able to dress like him but you could never act like him.” Your tone was venomous, making him draw back.

 

“Y/N- I just..”

 

“ **Do not.** Why can’t you just leave me alone? I’m happy, Barry. I’m really,  **really** happy. We share a life together and he's my other half.”

 

His hands covered his face as he attempted to hide the pain in his eyes. “You don't want to come back..”

 

“This is my home now, Barry. I have family, friends, and a job here. I’m not leaving.”

 

With a deep breath, he attempted to collect himself. 

 

“Where is Bartholomew?”

 

His voice was allow as he answered your question. “He's at S.T.A.R labs with Harry.”

 

“You roped  **Harry** into this?” There was nothing but disbelief in your voice.

 

“We were worried.”

 

“You had nothing to worry about.”

 

“I-I'll bring him back..”

 

“You better.”

 

“Could you hear me out first?”

 

“What could you possibly have to say to me?”

 

“I love you.”

 

“Barry, please-”

 

“Just- please.. Listen. I love you, I do. I just couldn't see past Iris to know. I know it might not have seem like it but you were behind every good thing about me.”

 

“I’ll hear you out this one last time.”

 

“I messed up big time. I know you don’t believe me when I say it but you were-  **are** so important to me. I couldn’t appreciate it when I had you and I swear it isn’t because I saw you with the other me. I realized after you left. I should’ve known from the start but I couldn’t see past Iris. You were part of the reason why I did so many things. You were the center of my world, not Iris. I haven’t even talked to her since. I love you; that’s why I’ll leave you alone. I know that at the very least he’ll make you happy.” With a blink, Barry had leaned forward and pressed a rather light and bittersweet kiss onto your forehead before he vanished. The only thing from him that remained was the ring box from earlier and his lingering words of “unlike me..”

 

With moist eyes, you stepped forward and carefully opened the box; recognizing the ring inside.

 

_ “Nora, what is this? It’s beautiful..” You held out the ring that was placed inside a box carefully filled to the brim with antiques.  _

 

_ Nora stopped reminiscing from her spot and peeked over her shoulder. “Oh, that’s Henry’s mother’s ring. He was supposed to propose to me with it but he already bought me my ring before she even told him she wanted him to have it. It’s been laying in the box ever since she died.” _

 

_ “Such a shame..” You muttered softly, examining the work of art closer. Nora smiled from her spot and turned back to her work as you continued to admire the ring. _

 

True to his word, Barry brought Bartholomew back soon after. Bartholomew had plenty to say about his counterpart though you shot down any less than appealing comments. When inquiring about how Harry was, Bartholomew was surprisingly brief with his assessment of his hero though you chalked it up to anger on Harry’s part in his kidnapping.

 

You quickly changed the subject and gestured for Bartholomew to sit down and eat the remainings of what was left of the dinner you made. He was strangely silent, during and before dinner. He stayed near you the entire time, careful to not let you out of his sight though he stayed deep in his thoughts.

 

The two of you sat on the couch, with you sitting carefully in his lap. With your head on his chest, you listened to his erratic heartbeat. With slow movements, you carefully placed the ring box in between the two of you, willing for him to open his eyes. 

 

“Bartholomew?” You called out to him softly. 

 

“Mm?”

 

“Can you open your eyes please?”

 

He listened to your request. You watched his every movement carefully; how he swallowed harshly at the appearance of the box, how his harsh his grip was on the box, and how his eyes fluttered nervously to yours.

 

“Y/N..”

 

“Your parents meant to show it to you but then the whole Barry incident happened. They couldn’t tell it wasn’t you over the phone.” Bartholomew opened the box, his hand grazing over the gemstone that laid on the ring. Bartholomew remained silent.

 

“I know this probably isn’t how you imagined this would go but it doesn’t matter to me. I could’ve hid it where they left it for you and maybe waited for you but I feel like this day might be a set back and I want you to know that no matter what- I’m not going back. This is my home, you’re my home.” You placed a hand under his hand that held the box and had your other hand close the box. “I’ll wait until you’re ready but I couldn’t be happier to be your wife because everything that has happened has brought me to be with you.”

 

Bartholomew closed his eyes and slowly leaned forward until your foreheads touched. “I love you.”

 

You smiled, entangling your fingers together. “I know.”

 

His eyes fluttered open, revealing a determined look in his face. He took the box and turned it around to face you, opening it back up. “Y/N, this might not be how I imagined the proposal to go but in the end- that isn’t what matters. I love you, my parents love you, and  **you** are my home. I can’t imagine you not being by my side. I want nothing more to be your husband, will you marry me and make me the happiest man in all the universes?”

  
You laughed, a choking sound coming out because of the tears that flowed from your eyes. “Of course, I’d love to.”


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> c/c - custom color

In the end, despite getting engaged rather quickly, the two of you took a long time to plan your wedding. It needed to be perfect- and it was. 

 

Nora was eager to hear about Bartholomew’s proposal and found your story to be quite particular but she said that it made a good story to tell the kids one day. Henry agreed though you suspected that what happened was beyond what he cared about.

 

Although Zoom never gave the two of you any trouble after he brought you into Earth-2, Barry made sure that he would not be a threat anymore. You found out the defeat of the supervillain when Killer Frost showed up at your shared home with Bartholomew; her body wracked in nerves.

 

Apparently your counterpart was her best friend and after she was killed by Zoom, Caitlin decided to ‘team up’ with Zoom in order to get some revenge for your/her death. 

At your appearance, she had hoped that once everything with Zoom settled that you would be her friend even though you would not be able to replace your counterpart's place.

 

You agreed, eager to have a friend in Earth-2. She proved to be a wonderful person. While she differed amazingly from the Caitlin that you knew and you differed from the Y/N that she knew, the two of you proved to be a good combination. You were thankful that you had someone besides Nora helping you through the wedding preparations and of course, she was your Maid of Honor.

 

Henry walked you down the aisle where Bartholomew was waiting. Caitlin stood on your side of the aisle with her silver hair somehow working beautifully with her c/c bridesmaid dress. Nora was beaming from her seat, looking as though she was hanging onto every little moment from the wedding.

Married life with Bartholomew proved to be more than blissful. There was not much change from how the two of you were already living but every usual action seemed to be amplified by the officialness of your relationship.

 

It wasn’t until your second year of marriage did you add a little addition to the family. Or rather- two little additions. Twins. You nearly fainted from the news. Henry laughed from the irony. You were thankful for the support that everyone gave you because it was really needed in the end. Your students were more than ecstatic about your news and brought little things for you whenever there was a class, Nora and Henry took turns watching over you when the day got tough and Bartholomew was at work, Caitlin proved to be rather excited about the news and messaged you about every little news she came about. 

 

Nora and Henry took to Caitlin quite easily and easily dubbed her as their second daughter which you suspected made her happy from her lack of a family in this universe. When the time came around to have your little ones, you waited anxiously. After pushing for an extensive amount of hours that you didn’t care to note, your two girls came into the world. You stared at both in awe as Bartholomew and you each held one. Neither of you looked up as the rest of the family came in- and really, no one could blame you. When asked for the girls’ names, you looked to your husband with a humorous glint in your eyes. Your head tilted down to gesture to the little girl in your arms before saying, “Maisie Honora Allen-..”

 

Bartholomew held up your other daughter for them to see and continued, “-Darcey Katerina Allen..”

 

The three never realized what was behind the girls’ names but nevertheless thought they were beautiful and spoiled both greatly. They never grew up without knowing “Grandpa Henry” , “Grandma Nora”, and “Aunt Cait” which you were thankful for because you knew that no matter what, your girls would know that they would have a place to come home to even if in the distant future, your mingling worlds changed forever.


End file.
